1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting and to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,192 discloses a connector that has a housing formed with cavities and terminal fittings that are inserted into the respective cavities. Each terminal fitting is formed by bending a metallic plate material and has opposite front and rear ends. A long narrow flat male tab is formed at the front end of the male terminal fitting and is configured for connection with a female terminal fitting. A substantially rectangular tubular box-shaped portion is formed rearward of the male tab, and a barrel is provided behind the box-shaped portion. The barrel is configured for crimped connection with a wire.
The front of the box-shaped portion is closed and continuous with the male tab. However, the rear of the box-shaped portion is open. Additionally, a locking hole is formed in one side wall of the box-shaped portion for engagement with the leading end of an elongate lock cantilevered from an inner wall of the cavity in the housing to lock the terminal fitting in the cavity.
The above-described connector is produced by first employing a crimping apparatus to crimp the barrels of the terminal fittings into connection with the wires. A plurality of the crimped terminal fittings then are aligned in the same direction and the wires are bundled together. The bundled assemblies then are transported to the site of an assembling process, and the terminal fittings are inserted into the cavities. However, the male tab of one terminal fitting may obliquely enter and get stuck in the rear opening or locking hole of another terminal fitting. The male tab may be bent if an external force acts on the stuck terminal fitting, thereby resulting in a defective terminal fitting.
In view of the above, an object of the invention is to provide a terminal fitting that can prevent another terminal fitting from entering the box-shaped portion when being bundled with a multitude of other terminal fittings. A further object is to provide a connector comprising such a terminal fitting.
The invention is directed to a terminal fitting with a box-shaped portion and at least one opening in the box-shaped portion. At least one entrance preventing means is provided on the terminal fitting for preventing another terminal fitting from passing through the opening and into the box-shaped portion.
The opening in the box-shaped portion may be an engaging hole for receiving a lock formed in a cavity of a connector housing for locking the terminal fitting in the cavity. The entrance preventing means may be a wall at an edge of the opening and may extend toward an opposed wall of the box-shaped portion.
The entrance preventing wall is dimensioned, disposed and configured to prevent a male tab of another terminal fitting from entering box-shaped portion. Accordingly, the male tab cannot get stuck, and deformation of the male tab is prevented.
The box-shaped portion preferably has opposed spaced-apart first and second walls and the entrance preventing wall preferably extends substantially between the first and second walls and preferably is substantially normal to at least one of the first and second walls. The first wall may be a bottom wall of the box-shaped portion and the second wall may be a ceiling wall of a box-shaped portion.
The terminal fitting may be a male terminal fitting with opposite front and rear ends. A male tab may be disposed at the front end of the terminal fitting and the box-shaped portion may be rearward of the male tab. A plurality of the male terminal fittings may be bundled to form a wiring harness or a wiring harness subassembly with the male tabs pointing in the same direction. Thus one male tab may inadvertently move forwardly into the opening of another terminal fitting. Accordingly, the entrance preventing wall preferably is at a front side of the edge of the opening of the box-shaped portion. Thus, the entrance of the male tab of the other terminal fitting can be prevented.
The invention also is directed to a connector with a housing and at least one cavity formed in the housing. The housing may have a resiliently deflectable lock cantilevered to extend into the cavity. The connector further comprises at least one terminal fitting with a box-shaped portion that conforms to the shape of a cavity in the housing. The box shaped is formed with at least one opening and at least one entrance preventing wall, as described above. More particularly, an entrance preventing wall is provided at an edge of the opening for preventing a male tab of another terminal fitting from entering the box-shaped portion.
The invention will be described below by way of an example of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. Although the described embodiments refer to male terminal fittings, it should be understood that the invention may also be applied to female terminal fittings.